Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-14
AN OFFICIAL DENIAL.
The Knights of Labor Committee at
Austin States Explicitly What
1t is There For.
Looking After the Prosecution of the Cap.
itel Syndicate for Importing
Foreign Labor.

Special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, Jan. 13.-On invitation
from W. J. Johnson, chairman of the
Knights of Labor committee now in ses-
sion, GAZETTE representative visited
their rooms this afternoon and was re-
quested by the chairman to give place to
the following denial of the purposes for
which they are convened, as published in
the two NeWses of the 11th:
AUSTIN, TEX, Jan. Is, 1887,
To the Editor of the Gazette.
In reply to an article that appeared in
the Galveston and Dallas News of the
18th, pu-porting to have been an inter-
view with c. C. Wilson of Kaufman
county on the 10th inst, we beg
| leave to Say that no such action of the
committee rs therein expressed was had,
and that not one dollar of the funds of
this committee has ever been or ever will
be used for any purpose other than that
| for which 1t YVES intended, to-wit: the
prosecution of the capitol syndicate for
the Importation of foreign labOr under
contract, and l positively state that no
re- mber of the committee mas ever sug-
geSted, either by word or action, to me
in private or the committee in session,
the using of this money for purposes
other than that for which it was
originally intended as shown in the
| published appeal to the labor or
CARNATIONS of America and Canada for
aid in this prosecution. And we, W. j.
johnson, C. C SWilson, J. W. Stewart
aud p. II. Golden, in committee session,
do positively reaffirm that for the prose-
cution of the CspitUl syndicate only will
it or can it be used. We desire to fur
Their state, that our confidence in the hon
esty and integrity of the members COM
posing the Twentieth legislature is such
that we would treat with contempt the
idea that money would influence their ac-
ton in any manner whatever.
w. J. JOHNSON,
Chairman of Committee on Prosecution
of Capitol Syndicate.
At meeting OF District Assembly IS on
July 81, 1886, q committee with w. j.
johnson as chairman, was appointed to
prosecute the capitol syndicate in the fed
eral court al Austin, under an act of con-
gress ''prohibiting the importation of
foreigners aud aliens under contract or
agreement to perform labor in the Udited
States, It's territories and the District Of
Columbia" And this committee was au-
thoriZcd and empowered to exercise their
Judgment in the matter and to take such
action in the premises as they might
deem right and proper. Acting under the
authority Of this commission the commit
tee ten days later puDii.ht 4 statement of
the facts in the case, coupled with an
appeal for aid, and,this document setting
forth both the wrong and the proposed
rene y, was sent to laDor organizations
throughout america and Canada.
The appeal is too lengthy for publica-
ton in this connection, but the second
last section is given to show the safe
guaId placed around the money to be col
lecjed by the committee themselves:
mo less than $4,000 will do US any
good. Our witnesses and evidence are
scattsred from Texas to Florida and New
York, and we want to bring IL all in
court. Our attorneys fees will also be
large, as we are employing none but the
best. Send all donations TO W. J. John
son, Box 464, Austin, Tex, notifying st
Tex, the amount sent.
IAN itemiZed accolnt of the amounts
received and expended will be given to
all the official labor journals of the United
States, and at the close of the suit, if
there should be any funds on hand, they
will be turned over to the general reasu-
rer OF the Knights of Labor, to be set
apart as special furd for the purpose of
maintaining suits where the laboring in
terest is involved"
la response to this appeal sufficient
funds have been received, and the money
il now in the hands of W. J. johnson,
and will be legjtimately used when the
case comes up for trial in the February
tenn of the federal court.
Mr.. Wilson VIII question on the sub
jeCt replied, "No such interview ever &C.
Cured. 1t is who ly and entirely the
! crt alton of the reporter, nd is false in
every particular. | nave never utted to
any one any such sentiments as are I'M
puted to ME in said pretended interview.
| left Terrell on the eth inst. and arrived
in Austin Oil the morning of the Sth, and
have not been out of the city since that
time. l came to Austin to attend the
meeting of the committee, appointed by
the Knights of Labor, to look after the
prosecution of the capitol syndicate for
importing foreign labor, and for no other
purpose"
Chow about the communication from
Terrell, which appeared in THE GAZETTE
of tue same date?"
"It, like the pretended interview, is
without foundation in fact, and the mo-
tives that prompted it are fully under
stood"
MrsWilsonis still waiting for telegraph
ic Constructions to come home.
,s2The Exposition Universelle de Part
FCpllinaire" awarded the highest honOrs
toRA n cyf1pturp RitterS "a tha most affice-